The purpose of this CXTech Week 27 2021 newsletter is to highlight, with commentary, some of the news stories in CXTech this week. What is CXTech? The C stands for Connectivity, Communications, Collaboration, Conversation, Customer; X for Experience because that’s what matters; and Tech because the focus is enablers.
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Covered this week:
- TADHack Global 2021 Registration Open
- TADSummit EMEA Americas: Call for Presenters, Sponsors, Workshops
- How we created an open-source alternative to Twilio and why it matters
- AT&T joins T-Mobile in switching all Android phones to Google’s Messages app for RCS
- Open Source Telecom Software Survey 2021, deadline extended by 1 week to 14th July
- Kaleyra Acquires Bandyer
- People, Gossip, and Frivolous Stuff
TADHack Global 2021 Registration Open
Thank you to Symbl.ai, Status.im, and Jambonz for sponsoring TADHack Global 2021, 25-26 September. This is our second global hackathon during a pandemic, well, let’s call it a prolonged pandemic.
Last year only Berlin ran in person. This year Berlin, Orlando and Chicago will run in person; with Colombia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Remote (comfort of your own home) all virtual. Thank you to all the TADHack partners making this global hackathon possible.
We’re running the weekend before Enterprise Connect 2021. Some of the TADHack winners from around the world will present at Enterprise Connect on Monday 27th September. EC21 is the largest enterprise communications trade show in the world, its amazing exposure. AND those hacking in Orlando will receive on completing their hacks free conference and expo passes ($2000+ value). Previous winners will tell you about all the goodies on the expo floor 😉
Please tell your colleagues, neighbors, family, and friends about TADHack Global 2021. It’s fun, you’ll learn lots, achieve a little global fame, and possibly win some cash. TADHack is for Everyone!
TADSummit EMEA Americas: Call for Presenters, Sponsors, Workshops
TADSummit is the event for programmable communications since 2013, it’s amazing to see how far and fast the industry has developed over that time. All presentations, workshops, and panel discussions will be given during the month of November 2021. The draft agenda is available here, and will be continuously updated.
We’re going to be virtual again (prolonged pandemic) with a mixture of live and pre-recorded sessions. We plan on 11-12th Nov being the core of the live sessions running from 3-6PM CET / 9-noon ET, for keynotes and hot topics so we can gather in real time. Around that core we will have live workshops and pre-recorded sessions.
If you want to present, sponsor, or give a workshop; please get in touch, thanks.
How we created an open-source alternative to Twilio and why it matters
Last year we introduced Pedro and his project FONOS at TADSummit EMEA Americas 2020. This is great review of how FONOS came to be. Quoting from the article:
“There is nothing wrong with traditional CPaaS. In fact, in most cases, using a CPaaS is a great option to deploy a Telecommunications solution.
However, even though the concept of using a CPaaS to go to market quickly is fantastic, it comes at a high price for some use-cases. After all, if something goes wrong, you will have no other option but to migrate to another CPaaS or build your own solution and start again on square zero.
Some companies complain about the high prices for using a CPaaS. A startup CTO once told me, “It almost feels that we are paying for a lot of features we don’t need.” This is because, with a traditional CPaaS, you start on a pay-as-you-go model, but costs can quickly get out of control.
Other companies find themselves limited by their providers’ features because with traditional CPaaS you have no option but to use what they have available. There is no chance for customization. And even though that’s not a problem for most companies, it is a deal-breaker for technology companies.
Then you have use-cases, especially in the healthcare industry, that can’t benefit from using a traditional CPaaS due to privacy concerns and local regulations.”
How we created an open-source alternative to Twilio and why it matters, Pedro Saunders
AT&T joins T-Mobile in switching all Android phones to Google’s Messages app for RCS
Google has been playing the long game on RCS. Trying to cooperate with carriers, giving up and doing it themselves, and then waiting for carriers to realize they can not do it themselves and join the Google bandwagon.
Will Google take over carrier messaging? Probably across Android devices. Verizon will try to hold-out with Message+, but in the limit users will choose their preferred messaging app on Android not Verizon. And in the longer term for the benefit of their users we could possibly see Apple and Google declare détante at some basic level of chat interop, further reducing p2p SMS traffic.
Android Messages detects that you’re texting with another phone that supports RCS, your text entry window will switch to say that you are sending a “Chat” and that you have “Chat features” enabled. This is not the same thing as Google Chat, the company’s other messaging service. I’m all these names will consolidate.
Open Source Telecom Software Survey 2021, deadline extended by 1 week to 14th July
We’ve had a massive response to the Open Source Telecom Software Survey 2021, with over 180 responses. Double last year. Thank You!
Open source telecom software is becoming increasingly popular.
Some projects in the survey are a little bit low on feedback, we need more data. I’ll keep the survey running for 1 more week. New deadline 14th July.
Kaleyra Acquires Bandyer
Bandyer offers cloud-based audio/video communications services to financial institutions, retail companies, utilities, industries, insurance, human resources and digital healthcare organizations using WebRTC.
These sectors are important to Kaleyra for its private CPaaS, so Bandyer complements with a range of video services. The small team, based in Milan, has been in business since 2014.
People, Gossip, and Frivolous Stuff
Helen Ponsford is now Senior Programme Editor and Head of Trade, Technology, Industry Events Programming at The Economist.
Devajeet Datta is now Group Digital Services Manager at Zain.
Rob Allan is now Senior QA Consultant at Ampion.
Mathias Hoellerl is now VP Sales, EMEA at tru.ID
Rick Mason is now Senior Vice President, Engineering and Operations at Shentel.
Nitin Shah is now Principal Innovator at MITRE Engenuity
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